Felting Fun 101

Although this wasn't actually my first felting project it was just
as exciting as if it had been.
The anticipation of what the project will look like after

being felted is half the fun.

I used 100% worsted weight wool that I had hand dyed with kool-aid.

I crocheted cuff bracelets that were large enough to slip over my wrists easily. (Allowing for shrinkage during the felting process.)

The first thing is giving the bracelets a hot bubble bath in the sink.

I let them soak just a bit.

The next step was the agitation process.
I just rubbed the crocheted bracelets between my hands and fingers
squishing water and bubbles through the wool fibers. The water turned the
color of the kool-aid dye, as I did not rinse the yarn after I dyed it.

The next step is to rinse in cold water and squeeze out the excess water.

Let the projects air dry. Then they are ready for wearing!! They can also be

embellished with almost anything you can imagine....

embroidery, beads, pearls, crystals, or buttons

just to name a few.

These are so fun to wear and go with just about any

ensemble!!

Dishcloths for Divas

Most women would not list doing dishes in

their top ten favorite things to do.

So call me strange but I actually enjoy

doing dishes ..."by hand even" if I am

using one of my hand knit or crocheted

dish cloths. There is just something about

how the warm, sudsy water soaks up

into the dish cloth that feels a bit luxurious.



100% cotton is the only way to go with

these little babies. They grow in a

diamond pattern, increasing in width

until half way through the project.

Then decrease one on each row and

bind off.

(Just let me know if you want the

pattern and I'll shoot you an email.)

These are a great little projects to carry

in your purse for those times you

are sitting in the car line at school or

waiting at the doctor's office. I wish

I had a nickel for every one these I've

made. I'd be one rich lady!!

When visiting my sister I discovered

she had not been using the ones I had

made her because she didn't want them

to get yucky....I told her that
she simply had to use them or

she wouldn't ever get any new ones from

me....(That goes for any of my friends too :)


Here are a couple of crocheted

dishcloths I made.These work

up in about a third of the time for me.

I personally like the knit ones

better for dishes, but either one is

a fun gift to give.

Either one also works great for face cloths

or baby washcloths. I just make them a bit

smaller. I usually use cotton tots

for the baby washcloths as it just has a

softer feel. Chenille works wonderfully

for face cloths. Just a word of

caution if you have teens that use cleansers

with benzo-peroxide, colors will bleach

so it is best to make them white.

Items made with Koolaid Dyed Yarn

Here are three pair of fingerless
mitts that I knit on 14 inch long
number 8 needles.

When I took a trip home to Arkansas

last October, I took about a dozen pairs

of these with me. My niece is a competitive

figure skater and I gave her and her sister

a pair and all the other skater girls wanted

some too. They sold like hotcakes.

Needless to say I sold them all.

A little tip I learned from another knitter:

When making two of something, either gloves, sleeves, vest fronts, etc. , you can make both

of them at the same time. These worked up

in about 3 hours on 14" long number 8 needles.

Simply make two balls of yarn and only use one

ball for each glove and drop that yarn and pick

up yarn from second ball for second glove. The

advantage to doing this allows you to complete

both items at the same time and also keeps you

from having to recount and measure second item

to ensure even lengths upon completion.

I crocheted a bunch of

flowers to embellish

future projects.

Just a mix of items made with

Koolaid dyed yarn.

Crocheted jewelry

A couple of years ago I had an idea to try something new. Instead of using yarn for crocheting I thought it might be fun to use wire. I had done a few beaded crochet projects and decided that it would be simple enough to add beads in with wire. I found different gauge wire ranging from 18 to 28 gauge. Of course the lighter gauge wire was much easier to crochet and allowed for a very delicate piece of jewelry upon completion. However, I found that some items really needed a heavier gauge in order to carry the weight of the beads. Lighter gauge wire lends itself to a more elastic product whereas the heavier gauge will uphold the original shape longer. You'll definitely want to use a metal crochet hook for these projects. And for the heavy gauge wire, don't be surprised how the wire will chew up the hook....so, I recommend using an inexpensive hook.

As in any beaded project, you will want to load the wire with all the beads (selecting your pattern beforehand if applicable). To allow the beads to show on the right side of you project, you will only want to incorporate the beads on each right side row...so, in other words every other row. Have fun with your designs as they will truly become wearable art.

A word of warning: Be ready to receive attention from others when you wear your jewelry. Everyone will want to know where you got it!!

Couture Bows by Lizzie Larue.....Love Life

I have to tell you about something I am so excited about....hair bows. Not just any bows mind you. These are made exclusively for Lizzie Larue. These are creme De la creme in the hair accessory world. I have to say, these are the most delicious little bows I've ever seen. Each bow is handcrafted in the U.S.A., has a So-snug grip, and is topped off with not a cherry, but something even yummier..... a Swarovski crystal jewel. Their collection includes Lizzie Larue, Little Lizzies, headbands, and clippy couture. You can check out all their beautiful couture bows at www.lizzielarue.com

Oh Baby Two....

So, I added the swarovski crystal beads to the onesie and socks. I think it is just the right amount of baby bling!

Dyeing for Koolaid!

I remember sitting by the sidewalk in front of my house on a hot summer day with entrepreneurial dreams of earning a fortune from my koolaid stand. My friends and I usually drank more ourselves than what we actually sold, but what a fun way to spend a summer day as a kid. Those days are some of my favorite childhood memories.

So when I found out koolaid could be used for dyeing yarn I have to say I was a bit jazzed. Who would've thought a grown woman in her 40's would be so giddy from going shopping for a fruity kid drink. I was pleasantly surprised by all the colors there were from which to choose. I made my selection from the rainbow array and went home to mix up the powdery concoction. I have to admit it was a bit of a nostalgic moment for me when I opened up the small packages and smelled the aroma of flavors...cherry being my favorite.

Thus, began my adventure of painting plain white wool yarn into deliciously vibrant colors. I set them outside on my deck and let the colors bake into them with the help of the hot Arizona sun. Oh they smelled so good!!

They are now dry and wound neatly into little colorful balls all ready for me to create something cool and refreshing!

Oh Baby....

This idea came to me a couple of days ago and I had to go work right away on it. Many of my ideas are like that. They pop into my head and won't go away until I've at least started on them. So I wanted to design a crochet embellished onesie and matching socks to sell on my Etsy site. One thing I think I will add is a pretty crystal bead to the center of the flowers to add just a bit of baby bling....

This was such a fun little project. I'm thinking of making a cute matching floppy hat to match.

My fav part is the little ruffle on the bum. I'm such a sucker for the cute little baby bums!

I am going to make a few more in lavendar, white, yellow, and solid pink.

Day one in blog world.....

I am about to enter the world of blogging. Am I crazy or what?? I am absolutely addicted to yarn and fibers.... and have to have a project close at hand, (always). Don't believe me? Just ask anyone I know, my hubby, my kids, friends, and relations. It is something that runs through my inner soul. I have always had a love for creating things and working with my hands. It is much easier for me to express myself thru things I make than thru written or verbal expression. I have just finished making some hair clips that I love.